Nothing is misspelled. There's at least one missing period and one space that would love to have (though doesn't necessarily require) a comma, but other than that the letter is grammatically sound.

The people who are complaining about the quality of the letter's writing have no basis for their complaints, really. Although, while "unkept" may technically be admissible in that form, it is very likely intended to be "unkempt" as that's the far more commonplace and fitting term for what is being said.

Looking at it again, I have to say it does rather come off as lecturing parents at large. The huge size of the "URGENT NOTICE !!!" ... Underlining Please Read (you know, just in case that wasn't enough?), and the rather colloquial " Enough Said " all come off as a bit admonishing and demanding. Not quite the stuff you might expect of co-equals who do appreciate your abilities to decide and improve stuff for your own kids with their best interests in mind... While it may be within the scope of her concerns to ask for action (it's hard to be certain exactly what or with how many kids she's talking about, but it may)... It's not very pretty or tactful.

Some of those parents who it doesn't apply to, might adopt the same tone of "Oh, shame, who could it be???" and take the perceived tone of the letter as a reason for more neighborly criticism and intrusion... Others might mount defensive reactions more along the lines of "I don't think this was for me, but I don't really appreciate receiving such a message [if indeed everyone needed to receive it at all, some would add] in quite this form."

The whole handwritten form doesn't look neutral or businesslike either. Again it feels a bit like tossing one's position around too casually. I can imagine parents thinking something along the lines of, "Oh you want to lecture me on this from a safe distance through your so-called 'official' letter that I have to sign and return or else (what exactly huh), and yet rather than type it you are satisfied to shoot off your big warnings with chummy handwritten script and colloquialisms like we're all high school buddies?" More generally, having so many changes in script size is kind of jarring to read (and the occasional missing period makes it a lot worse). I have to wonder if she isn't more used to writing for kids than adults. It's not the aesthetics I expect of a formal note to somewhat distant partners on an adult "business" matter like childrearing.

Again though, I wonder how many pre-K's are "seriously" organized places where teachers are given equipment or offices... Though that could be a community or institution problem, more than an individual teacher problem.

Some of those parents who it doesn't apply to, might adopt the same tone of "Oh, shame, who could it be???" and take the perceived tone of the letter as a reason for more neighborly criticism and intrusion... Others might mount defensive reactions more along the lines of "I don't think this was for me, but I don't really appreciate receiving such a message [if indeed everyone needed to receive it at all, some would add] in quite this form."

She's probably in her 50s or 60s - she has been an elementary school teacher for over 30 years. She is probably an old-school type of teacher who isn't used to typing things up.

Not informing the parents of health and safety concerns isn't an option. If one of the children gets sick, parents will be furious and demanding why they were not informed about unhygienic conditions in the student body. The school will have no defense then.

Did people actually end formal letters with "enough said" 30 years ago? Or any kind of letter? I'm not sure she really understands how people respond to that sort of ending. At least on a matter where they're directly involved and have a lot of choice themselves.

I don't mind her informing them if it really is a health issue that can be prevented. (If it's more that she sees a health issue in things that pre-K kids tend to do all the time, then it may not be so simple. I just don't know, though "soiled" could mean toilet problems to an older teacher I suppose.)

But the overall form and the style of the attentions and warnings? It doesn't feel formal to me, and that just makes the adults who think their turf is being pushed into for better or worse, get that much more edgy and sometimes defensive.

I'm not sure the teacher really deserves so much 'blame,' not knowing the whole situation well myself. It's even possible the school deserves some share of it. I can see how it ended up with the admin feeling they had to (at least) appear to be acting to get her out of the spotlight, though. Too much drama, and the style of the letter had something to do with it.

I can understand a teacher having concerns if students are coming to school dirty. I can understand a letter being sent home over it; it can be a health issue for other children.

But the issue with this letter is it's distinct lack of professionalism or tact. The tone is decidedly offensive. The teacher might as well have just written "Your child stinks, it's your fault, so fix it, because your kid grosses me out," because that's the tone this letter conveys.

I can understand a teacher having concerns if students are coming to school dirty. I can understand a letter being sent home over it; it can be a health issue for other children.

But the issue with this letter is it's distinct lack of professionalism or tact. The tone is decidedly offensive. The teacher might as well have just written "Your child stinks, it's your fault, so fix it, because your kid grosses me out," because that's the tone this letter conveys.

I agree. If this woman has indeed been teaching for 30 years as someone else mentioned, the tone of the letter does not convey that. Even a handwritten letter should be professionally worded, especially if using the 'contract' form given. Although how a Kindergarten student could be expected to sign a letter when, at that age, very few would be able to read well enough to understand what the letter is saying and even fewer would be able to confine their handwriting to such a small space is beyond me.

There is no excuse for such unprofessionalism. It doesn't matter if the teacher doesn't feel comfortable using a computer. It doesn't matter if the school won't provide her with proper writing paper and a pen, or if the Principal is lazy and happily ignores the stinky, dirty students. It doesn't matter if the teacher is old fashioned and was trained back in the dark ages when all you had to know to become a teacher was how to use a chalkboard and a yardstick. This is just. Plain. Wrong. It's not that hard, surely, to use formal, professional language when communicating to parents about what can be a very delicate issue, is it?

I know I would be heavily offended if I received a letter like this, especially if I was not one of the 'naughty' parents.